The HBO show Euphoria erupted on social media this summer. After feeling left out for a couple of weeks, I signed up for a free week trial of HBO, set a reminder on my phone to delete it the next week, and settled in for a binge-watching marathon. As expected, I was immediately hooked and finished the show in two days. It was fascinating and different than any teen show I have seen before. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for long after I had finished it.
One of the many things that I loved was the show’s attention to visual aesthetic, particularly the makeup looks by makeup artist Doniella Davy. Her creations were nothing like makeup you’ve seen on TV before — they were bold and unique and fitting to each character. I’m not being dramatic when I say they were revolutionary. I expect to see these makeup looks becoming trends or at least encouraging women to have more fun with their makeup. I am a simple girl when it comes to my everyday makeup, usually sticking with eyeliner, mascara, and tinted lip balm. But these character’s looks had me shopping for glitter eyeshadow and rhinestones. Here are some of my favorite looks from the show:
Jules’ Colorful Eyes
Jules experiments the most with colors and shapes in her makeup. They often have a soft, muted appearance that go well with her outfits. This look pairs unexpected colors in a beautiful way.
Rue’s Glitter Tears
Glitter is a defining feature of this show. Rue’s makeup uses glitter in a unique way by applying glitter underneath her eyes, sometimes in the shape of tears. Her glitter tears perfectly capture her struggles with mental health and drug abuse.
Maddie’s Rhinestone Eyes
Trying to narrow down my favorite looks from Maddie was pretty much impossible. Every one of them blew me away but I especially loved her combinations of rhinestones and cat eyes. They were fierce and bold just like her character. And rhinestone eyebrows? Iconic.
Kat’s Green Eyes
Kat’s makeup looks reflected her transformation into a confident woman exploring her sexual power. These bright green eyes with dark green shadow underneath were a total power move. She rocks unplucked eyebrows throughout the season, showing her refusal to conform to traditional beauty standards.
Jules’ Juliet Makeup
This list would be incomplete without Jules’ beautiful makeup look for her Juliet Halloween costume that uses real gold flakes for her butterfly wings and eyebrows. It’s a soft, angelic look that shows the makeup artist’s attention to detail.
Maddie’s Orange and Lavender Eyes
Once again, the makeup artist takes two colors that you wouldn’t expect to be together and creates a stunning combination. Her bright orange cat eye also pushes the boundaries but works perfectly with her aesthetic.
Kat’s Halloween Makeup
Kat’s take on Thana from Ms.45 for Halloween is a game-changer. It is the epitome of her newfound sexuality and dark side.It also plays into her gravitation toward black and red in her outfits.
Jules’ Cloud Eyes
This look perfectly shows Jules’ experimentation with shapes in her makeup. It’s simple yet eye-catching and original. This is one that would be easy to recreate for a quick and daring look.
Cassie’s Rhinestone Face
Cassie figure skating look was over-the-top yet totally stunning. It strayed from her normal soft and natural looks but it fit her character perfectly in that moment when she seemed to feel the most beautiful.